1,408 Jewish Immigrants Arrive in Israel in One Day; 500 More Due

The largest single group of immigrants to arrive in one day–1,408 newcomers, mostly from Egypt and Europe–landed here this morning. They arrived aboard the Argentine ship, the “Salte.”

The immigrants, who had been processed during the voyage, were sent immediately to development areas. Specialists among the newcomers, including doctors, engineers and technicians, were sent to canters where they are needed. Another 500 are expected here during the coming week-end.

The Association of Polish Jews in Israel, meanwhile, announced plans to establish a special fund to help Polish newcomers, reporting that a 24, 000-pound fund has already been collected from which loans will be given to specialists and professionals to help them integrate.

Israel M. Seiff, head of the Anglo-Israel Development Corporation, announced that the sum of 100, 000 pounds sterling ($280, 000) has already been raised to finance the settlement in the Lachish development region of 100 families from English-speaking countries. He said that Isaac Wolfson, British financier, is associated with him in the project which aims at facilitating settlement in Israel of professional and middle-class elements from the English-speaking world.

Forty newcomers are already settled in Kiryat Gat, urban center of the development region, Mr. Sieff said. He expects the first hundred would be settled there by the end of the year. Kiryat Gat now has a population of about 4, 000, four-fifths of them recent arrivals from Europe and North Africa. The ten-mile agricultural zone around the town has a population of 25, 000. A cellophane tape factory and a peanut processing plant are already in operation in Kiryat Gat, and a 30, 000-spindle cotton mill is under construction.